Countries should produce the food that their population eats, and import as little as possible. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Imports should be avoided wherever possible, and each country should be self-sufficient in terms of the amount of

food

it produces, and there are several reasons why I believe

this

should be done. The most important reason for

this

is that the local diet eliminates the need for

food

transport,

that is

, consumes less gasoline and

thus

significantly reduces air pollution. Less pollution means fewer cases of respiratory diseases

such

as asthma and bronchitis, and overall improved well-being. Another reason why I am in favour of

this

idea is that

food

would be much cheaper by avoiding shipping costs. Nowadays, some products are imported from countries several tens of thousands of miles away. China,

for example

, has started importing Brazilian beef in conjunction with its recent economic boom, the distance between China and Brazil is about ten thousand miles. By a simple calculation, it is easy to understand that an important sum could be saved if the Chinese stayed true to their former

food

tastes. A final reason is the quality of the

food

. Local products tend to be of higher quality and

therefore

taste better. Cereals are sometimes harvested before they ripen, which leads to nutrient deficiencies in the plants because from the moment the crop is cut off from the rest of the plant, it no longer receives nutrients.

For example

, a tomato plant can ripen during transport, so that it is ripe for sale, which is good for business. In conclusion, I strongly support the idea that countries ought to try as much as possible to eat only the

food

they produce, as

this

would reduce air pollution and ensure that

food

is cheaper and more palatable than imported

food

.